Force Motors eyes 20 percent market share in off-road vehicle segment

Panaji: Force Motors is eyeing 20 percent market share in the niche off-road vehicle segment as it aims to sell around 2,400 units of its soon to be introduced off-road vehicle Gurkha in the first year of launch.

The Pune-based firm, which plans to start selling the vehicle next month in the country, has already started exporting it to various markets.

"The market for the niche segment in which Gurkha falls is around 12,000 units per annum. I would be happy to achieve 20 percent of this market in the first year of launch," Force Motors Managing Director Prasan Firodia said.

The company plans to utilize both its passenger vehicles and commercial vehicle sales network to market the off-roader model in the country.

"We would first focus on launching it through our passenger vehicle sales network and later would also utilize the commercial vehicle network as it is spread across the country," Firodia said.

The passenger vehicle network of the company is small at around 25 dealerships while the commercial vehicle network stands at around 200 point of sales.

The vehicle, which is being produced at the company's Pithampur plant, is already being shipped out to various markets in Africa.

"We are exporting it (Gurkha) since last two months. We are witnessing strong interest for the vehicle in the African markets," Firodia said.

When asked about the company's tractor vertical, Firodia said the division has been growing robustly at over 60 percent year-on-year for the last three years.

"We are focusing on seven states at the moment. We are aggressively looking to expand the network in these states. Once we are able to have sizable presence in these states, we would spread in rest of the country as well," Firodia said.

The seven states include Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh, he added.

The company produces tractors at its Pune facility in the range of 25 to 55 HP, the installed capacity of the tractor plant being at 15,000 units per annum on a single shift basis.